at Enid, Dusters vs. Texhoma Winner goes to the Big
House State playoffs

Forgan boys make state Playoff game Class B

Three Beaver County hoop teams in Area final

Dusters reach Area final for first time since 2006

With the 2015 basketball playoff chase reaching its
pinnacle - one week away from the start of the State Tournament - three
Beaver County schools remain alive in the chase for gold.

The Beaver Dusters are in the Area final for the
first time since 2006 and will face Pond Creek-Hunter Friday night in
Enid at 8 p.m.; the Forgan Bulldogs won their seventh straight Regional
crown last week and will face Southwest Covenant Friday in Woodward at 8
- and the Forgan Lady Bulldogs are in the Area final and will play Coyle
Friday night at 6:30 also in Woodward.

"Most of these playoff games are going to be close,"
BHS coach Craig Schlessman said. "As we go down the stretch, there is
nobody that we are going to just knockout - but there is no one who will
just destroy us.

"We have to let the game evolve and evolve with it.
If you can’t, you don’t win. I tell the boys that all of these games are
tough and we have to change as the game changes. We have to be patient
and as the game continues the fundamentals of basketball will come back
out. And I think we are as fundamental as anybody. The last three games
have panned out for us."

Schlessman’s crew will face a solid PC-Hunter team
that will be playing basically in its own back yard.

"We are about to go against a team that might be more
fundamentally sound than we are," Schlessman said. "It is going to be a
tough one. They are not a pushover or slouch. I think our size is going
to hinder them quite a bit. Their shooting can be deadly from the
outside. We are definitely going to have to play good defense."

The defending state champion Bulldogs are 21-5 and
have had a bit of a roller coaster season under coach Todd Kerr.
However, they are back in the hunt for a "win and in" scenario against
Southwest Covenant.

"We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to be
there that many times in a row," Kerr said. "We are blessed to continue
to get this chance. Because of some of our deficiencies, we have not
looked forward at all. Hopefully, Friday night we can have a chance to
go compete and win."

SW Convenant, despite a sub .500 record, is a tough
match, Kerr said.

"They have some size and one player who can score
from anywhere," Kerr said. "I think our schedule has prepared us for
this. I think it is a game that we can definitely compete in."

The Forgan girls, meanwhile, have not dropped a game
to a Class B team all season and sit as one of the favorites to win the
gold ball. FHS (25-1) will face an athletic Coyle team that defeated
Leedey by just four in the Regional final. The Lady Bulldogs thumped
Leedey in the finals of the Oil Center Classic in January.

"They are definitely athletic," Lady Bulldog coach Brett Trippet
said. "We will have our work cut out for us, no doubt. But, this group
has played so well together this season."

Balko Livestock show

Nathan Cook had the Grand Champion Barrow at the Balko show

Beaver Show

Landri Bennett had the Grand Champion barrow at the Beaver Show
Monday, Feb, 16, 2015

Beaver show judge Andrew Sprague asks Forgan's Sid Slatten about his
steer Monday, Feb. 16, 2015 at the fairgrounds.
The county show is Monday

Skylar Perry and Katlin Estrada exhibit goats during the Beaver Show
Monday. Estrada had the Grand Champion wether and Grand Champon doe

Park busy with visitors; Lake to be filled soon

Over the last couple of weekends - with the
temperatures turning more spring like - traffic at the Beaver Dunes Park
has increased greatly, according to manager Heath Noyes.

"As expected, 2015 started off at a less than
blistering pace," Noyes said. "In January, we had 63 riders at the dunes
and just one camper."

Even with the cold weather keeping many people
inside, Noyes said the park still enjoyed riders from all over the
country. In addition to riders from the area, there were also people
from Minnesota and California.

"The park has recently posted a new official Facebook
page, and I encourage everyone to "like" and "share" it with people they
know," Noyes stated. "This is good publicity and it comes at zero cost
to the park. I hope that everyone goes and checks it out, posts pictures
and leaves feedback."

Noyes also said that he has continued to work on the
drought stricken lake. A well has been designated to begin refilling the
area.

"We received a verbal commitment from a local
business person to provide the remaining water line from the well to the
lake," Noyes said. "Once that is installed we will be able to begin
pumping water back into it.

"Returning the lake to its former state has been one
of my priorities since taking the job as park manager and it makes me
happy to be able to report on the progress we are making."

Noyes said once the water level in the lake has been
restored, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife will help stock it with
fish.

He also said that he is working on getting the
restrooms back in order on the day use side of the park.

"In years past, it has been the practice of the park to shut down the
water well in the day use area from October to April," Noyes said. "With
the onset of warmer weather we have had many park goers wanting to use
that area. We are working to bring that well back up so that visitors
may do so in comfort."

PTCI working on big project

Phase One of PTCI’s multi-million-dollar FTTH project
is well underway and includes the cities of Beaver, Forgan, and 1/3 of
Guymon, with a projected completion in the first quarter of 2016.

During this construction period customers in Guymon
and Beaver are seeing contractors working in their towns on PTCI’s
behalf, such as North Central Services, J Carlson, and Davis Cable
Technologies. Forgan customers are likely to see Stewart Excavation
working on this project.

This "Fiber-to-the-Home" or "FTTH" project, which
encompasses PTCI’s service territories in the Oklahoma panhandle, is
expected to be completed in three phases over the course of the next
five to seven years.

The FTTH project is designed to simultaneously
transmit voice, IP video, and high-speed data services to both
residential and business customers. The completion of PTCI’s FTTH
project will make it possible for ‘gigabit’ speeds to become common in
the Oklahoma panhandle.

PTCI asks that the residents and businesses in these areas accept our
apologies for any inconveniences that may be caused by this
construction. The ultimate goal is to provide the very best
communications technology to the Oklahoma panhandle, and we feel this
FTTH project is giant step in that direction

Rep. Murdock excited

about House Bill 1747

State Rep. Casey Murdock said today he is excited
about legislation that would create Rural Opportunity Zones in counties
across the state.

House Bill 1747 advanced out of the House Agriculture
& Rural Development Committee and is now available for consideration on
the House floor.

The bill allows for the creation of 25 Rural
Opportunity Zones across the state. For taxable years beginning in 2016,
this legislation would allow for a five-year tax exemption for anyone
who moves from out-of-state into a county projected to see a population
loss between the effective date and 2075 per the 2012 Demographic
State of the State Report – Oklahoma State and County Population
Projections through 2075.

"I am excited that the legislation received unanimous
support in committee," said Murdock, R-Felt. "This bill will help the
rural areas of our state, encouraging them to grow rather than dwindle."

Many of the outer counties in Oklahoma compete
directly with Texas, which has no income tax and rural counties in
Kansas which has its own version of Rural Opportunity Zones, Murdock
said.

Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman, from Fairview in
northwest Oklahoma, is a supporter of the zones and said it can only
benefit the entire state to see economic conditions improve in rural
areas.

"More than anything, rural Oklahoma needs people," Speaker Hickman
said. "This bill is a great tool that will bring new residents to our
state whose investments will result in more revenue for sales tax and
property tax that benefits all of Oklahoma – urban and rural – and more
than exceeds the amount of the exemption. I appreciate Rep. Newell’s
leadership on this issue as we look for more ways to sell families and
companies outside our state on Oklahoma’s wonderful quality of life and
low cost-of-living and invite them to call Oklahoma home."

From Jim Rice Seward County Commissioner

The following came from Jim Rice who is one of the
Commissioners of Seward County.

One ought to read the fine print these days.

A thousand years is a long time. Today’s landowners
are making decisions that will affect people on that land for the next
40 generations. That’s something to take pretty seriously, said Harriet
Hageman, a Wyoming water and natural resource attorney. A conservation
easement, sometimes granted as "perpetual," which legally means 999
years, is a tool for guaranteeing the future use of a piece of property.
It can also be an avenue for federal government agencies to gain control
over private property. Hageman provided a critical analysis of easements
to landowners during her presentation at the South Dakota, Wyoming joint
Farm Bureau Young Farmer and Rancher Conference in Deadwood, South
Dakota on Jan. 17.

"Conservation easements are consolidating control over real
properties through legally binding contracts. As the property owner, or
grantor, you retain partial ownership rights to the land, but you are
also relinquishing rights of control and decision-making over future use
and development of the property," Hageman said.

In 1950 there were 53 land trusts involved in
purchasing conservation easements. By 2005 that number had jumped to
1,668. In 2010, the National Land Trust Census listed 47 million acres
under conservation easements through approximately 1,700 land trusts.
Many of the largest land trusts are controlled by environmental
organizations such as The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Ducks Unlimited,
American Farmland Trust and The Conservation Fund.

"That is a 731 percent increase in conservation
easement acres in Wyoming alone," said Hageman. "More than 10 million
total acres were placed in land trusts from 2005 to 2010, and the
majority of those acres were in the western U.S., with particular focus
on states with less previously controlled federal and state lands, such
as Kansas, South Dakota and North Dakota."

"What concerns me is that we are federalizing our
private property rights. We are allowing government agencies and
non-profits to make decisions regarding land use, and to take our rights
away through tolerating perpetual conservation easements." Wyoming water
and natural resource attorney Harriet Hageman regarding one of
her primary concerns with perpetual conservation easements being placed
on private lands in the west. Photo by Heather Hamilton-Maude

One example of a Nature Conservancy conservation
easement at work is in the Sandhills of Nebraska, where the Horse Creek
Fen Ranch was purchased by the group in 1977.

"It is more than 3,000 acres and has some very
important habitat for rare plants and wildlife. We wanted to protect the
fen so we acquired the property, explained Conservancy spokesman Chris
Anderson.

The Conservancy also recognized the struggle young
people have in purchasing a ranching operation, and as a result started
a beginning ranching program to look for a family willing to manage the
ranch, and potentially own it someday.

"We found a young couple, and they signed a five- year lease
agreement with us. They had the option to buy the ranch in 2005 at its
appraised value, minus the price of a conservation easement that
protects the fen. The couple was able to purchase the property and they
continue to own and operate it as a working ranch,"" said Anderson.

He noted that in this instance, the Conservancy helped a young
ranching family get started in the agriculture business and protected
one of the key natural features of the property with an easement.

School Election

Sample ballots now are available at the Beaver County
Election Board office for voters who want to get a preview of what will
be at stake in the Beaver, Balko and Turpin Annual School Election on
February 10, 2015.

Sample ballots are also available about two weeks
prior to an election on the Oklahoma State Election Board’s Online Voter
Tool at http://www.ok.gov/elections/Voter_Info/Online_Voter_Tool/.

Vera Floyd, Secretary of the Beaver County Election
Board, said that sample ballots can be viewed at the Election Board
office, located at 111 West 2

nd
St in Beaver, during regular office hours, 8:30 .m. - 2:30 p.m..

Sample ballots also will be posted outside every
precinct polling place on Tuesday so that voters can review them before
casting their votes.

Ballots that will be issued to voters on Tuesday
include the following:

Beaver School Board

Balko School Board & Bond Election

Turpin School Board

For more election-related information, call the
Beaver County Election Board at 580-625-4742.

Early voting set

A new state law which took effect on November 1,
2013, changes the dates and times voters have come to expect for early
voting in Oklahoma.

Now, early voting begins on Thursday and continues on
Friday, Floyd noted. Of special note, early voting is no longer
conducted on Monday.

These changes have occurred due to the approval of SB
869, which was signed into law in May, 2013. As a result, Thursday,
February 5 is the first day for in-person absentee aka "early"
voting, in the April 10Election, Floyd explained.

More information about absentee voting in Oklahoma, as well as other
election-related information, is available at www.elections.ok.gov.

Forgan student selected to

attend youth summit at

Washingon, DC university

Siona Walsh, a student at Forgan High School has been
selected to represent Oklahoma as a National Youth Delegate to the 2015
Washington Youth Summit on the Environment at George Mason University.

Walsh joins a select group of 250 students from
across the country to participate in an intensive study week-long of
leadership in environmental science and conservation. Siona was chosen
based on academic accomplishments and a demonstrated interest and
excellence in leadership in the sciences and conservation studies.

George Mason University along with partners, National
Geographic and the National Zoo are excited to welcome the nation’s
youth scholars to Washington, D.C. With distinguished faculty, guest
speakers, and direct access to elite D.C. practitioners, the Washington
Youth Summit on the Environment offers aspiring environmentalists and
student leaders an unparalleled experience. The week-long program is
held at George Mason University’s state-of-the-art campus. The Summit
will encourage and inspire young leaders who desire a unique experience
focused on successful careers in this dynamic industry.

The Washington Youth Summit on the Environment will
be held June 28 to July 3, 2015.

The Washington Youth Summit on the Environment (WYSE)
is a unique student leadership conference designed to develop and
encourage future leaders in the important field of environmental studies
and conservation in the 21st century.

The Advisory Board, is chaired by Mark Bauman, Senior
Vice President of the Smithsonian Institution’s Enterprises Division and
co-chaired by Joe Sacco, Educational Director for the National Zoo.
Additional members include world renowned scholars, distinguished
scientists and award winning university faculty, such as Dr. Tom
Lovejoy, noted environmentalist and former executive vice president of
the World Wildlife Fund.

Delegates gain an insider look at environmental science, policy and
conservation issues. For more information visit us online at
wyse.gmu.edu.

Balko students win national "moon mail" contest

The creative works of two students at Balko High
School will soon find a permanent repository - on the moon, courtesy of
Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology.

The company, which is planning to make the first ever
commercial moon landing, announced in December that Balko School and its
155 students as the winner of its first MoonMail contest.

As part of its landing, the company is establishing a
service called MoonMail, through it will tote small keepsakes, things
like rings and photographs to the moon’s surface where they will be
permanently left.

"We received numerous heartfelt stories that made it
very difficult to decide on just one winner," Astrobotic CEO John
Thornton said. "The entry of Balko School captured the goal of the
MoonMail program, which is to inspire and allow people from around the
world to have a personal connection to the moon, now and for generations
to come."

Hanna Parker and Colton Lentz wrote an essay that
allowed Balko to be chosen. They will send an SD card filled with
photos, poetry and other memories from the school.

In making the pitch to be selected, the school wrote:

"Some students never look up the invitation of the cosmos at all,
seeing their future as locked to the land and to this place. We believe
that the inclusion of our video card in this lunar mission will be a
beacon for all the young people of Balko, Oklahoma; establishing our
permanent presence in the infinite universe and staking an undeniable
claim to both a place in, and our ability to contribute to, the future
of Humankind. For those students whose gaze is ever downward and
earthbound, there will now be a reason to gaze into those heavens. When
they do, they will know that Balko students could and did touch the face
of the moon."

Municipal filings to begin

next Monday in area cities

Candidates for municipal office in three Beaver
County municipalities file Declarations of Candidacy beginning at 8 a.m.
Monday, February 2.

Vera Floyd, Secretary of the County Election Board,
said the filing period ends at 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 4.

Declarations of Candidacy will be accepted at the
County Election Board office for the indicated offices for each of the
following municipalities.

Town of Beaver—-3 Trustees, Town Clerk

Town of Forgan — 2 Trustees, Town Clerk

Town of Gate — 2 Trustees

The municipal offices at stake in Beaver, Forgan and
Gate will be filled in the nonpartisan General Election scheduled April,
7,2015.

School absentee vote

Registered voters in Beaver County who want to vote
by mail absentee ballot in next Tuesday’s Annual School Election for
Balko, Beaver & Turpin Schools have until Wednesday, February 4 at 5
p.m. to request one, Floyd ntoed.

Voters who want to cast absentee ballots still can do
so in person at the County Election Board office on Thursday, February
5, or Friday, February 6. A two-member, bipartisan Absentee Voting Board
will be on duty each day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday to
assist absentee voters.

"In-person absentee voters fill out an application
form when they get to the office. They are not required to give any
reason for voting absentee," Floyd said. "They are required to swear
that they have not voted a regular mail absentee ballot and that they
will not vote at their polling place on election day."

According to Floyd, the Absentee Voting Board verifies a voter’s
registration information. Then, the Board issues all the appropriate
ballots to the voter. The voter marks the ballots in a voting booth and
then casts them in the voting device.

Former Turpin family wins NFL

contest, gets to go to Super Bowl

A former Turpin family who took in a student who had
lost both his parents, has been chosen by the National Football League
as a winner of the league’s "Together We Make Football" contest.

Former Turpin High School graduates, Chris and Sarah
(Riffe) Roberts now live in Edmond, where Chris is the head football
coach for the Crossings Christian School Knights. He has a senior player
named Christian who lost his dad to ALS four years ago.

Chris has become a father figure to Christian over
the last few years.

In September, Christian tragically lost his mother to
an immune deficiency disease. Christian then turned to Chris, his wife,
Sarah, their children, Cale, Chloe, Case and E. Cruz, and asked if he
could move in with them.

All of them said, "Yes," and now Christian is a
member of the Team Roberts Family.

On the day of Christian’s mom’s funeral, Sarah
thought this story should be told: Coach and player becomes father and
son.

Sarah made a "selfie" video of their story and
submitted it to the National Football League’s "Together We Make
Football" contest.

As it happened, NFL representatives came to their
home in Edmond, to their school, football practices and a game to
videotape the Roberts family.

A week after editing the video, the NFL called Crossings school
office and asked if they would assemble the entire school together on
the following Friday morning because they were coming back to do more
video.

They did, and as coach Roberts was speaking, the
headmaster took the mike and said there was someone whom he would like
to introduce.

Deion Sanders came out a side door and announced to
the crowd and to the Roberts family they were finalists in the NFL’s
"Together We Make Football" contest.

The NFL flew the family to New York City to be on the
NBC Today show, where their story as a finalist was announced, and then
America voted for its pick from six finalists via the Internet.

Sarah Roberts’ parents, Gary and Sherri Riffe, still
live in Turpin, and both are very excited.

"We would like to thank every one of you who
supported Christian/Team Roberts and voted for their story on NFL’s
"Together We Make Football" contest," Sherri said. "Just in case you
haven’t heard … they won!"

When the family was notified they were finalists,
they were told if they won they would receive four tickets to Super Bowl
XLIX on Feb. 1 in Phoenix.

"Last Monday evening, with NFL cameras rolling, Deion
Sanders came into their kitchen to announce they were winners and gave
them eight tickets," Sherri said. "The entire family will get to go to
the super bowl.

"Thank you to all who took time to vote everyday for their story,"
Sherri added. "We want to express our appreciation for your support and
your votes during the duration of this contest. Thank you very much."

PTSI email addresses to

change soon; Be aware!

Everyone loves progress, but nobody likes change.
Especially when the change is forced upon us, as is regretfully the case
in the changes that lie ahead for people with @ptsi.net email addresses.

Currently, @ptsi.net email addresses reside on a
Google platform that Google plans to shut down some time in second
quarter of 2015, forcing all users with @ptsi.net email addresses to go
through an inconvenient email conversion process. Sadly, this conversion
to a new email platform will cause PTCI to incur fees that will be
passed on to customers in the amount of $10.00 per month per email
address, with no guarantee that another conversion won’t be required at
some point in the future.

However, good news exists in the midst of the
confusion. PTCI strongly recommends that customers convert to one of the
many FREE email services available online, e.g. Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook
by April 1, 2015. There are benefits to utilizing one of these free
email services, such as the ability to log in from anywhere and the
simple fact that this new email address shouldn’t have to be changed
again.

PTCI suggests business, government, healthcare, and
education customers work with Randy Jacobs at PTCI (580-468-2316) to
begin the process of obtaining their own unique domain names for email.

PTCI advises that customers whose smartphones were
configured using @ptsi.net email will also be impacted by this change.

There is plenty of time, if people don’t procrastinate.

Google plans to the shut the platform down in July
2015. If customers follow PTCI’s practical recommendations, there are
three steps to follow: (1) Set up a new email address with one of the
suggested free email services; (2) Alert all contacts of your change of
email address (a broadcast message can be sent to all contacts and an
auto reply message can be set up to allow contacts time to revise the
address); (3) Transfer all contacts, saved messages, folders, and data
to the new email address.

PTCI has instruction guides available on ptci.net for helping
customers with these conversions. Their help desk technicians and
service representatives will be equipped with tools to assist and direct
customers who need help.

Flu death reported in state

The Woodward County Health Department announced the
first reported flu death this flu season in Woodward County. A total of
31 influenza-associated deaths have been reported to the Oklahoma State
Department of Health (OSDH). Counties with deaths caused by influenza
are Carter, Canadian, Comanche, Garfield, Jackson, Muskogee, Okfuskee,
Oklahoma, Ottawa, Payne, Pittsburg, Rogers, Stephens, Tillman, Tulsa,
Washington and Woodward Counties.

According to the OSDH, there have been 1,033
influenza-associated hospitalizations since Sept. 28. The highest rate
of hospitalizations occurred among individuals 65 years and older.

"Spread of influenza is occurring statewide, so if
you haven’t already, now is the time to get your flu shot," said Beaver
County Health Department Administrative Director Terri Salisbury. "We
still have flu vaccine available."

An annual flu vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months and
older. Vaccination is especially important for those persons at high
risk from flu complications including people 65 years of age and older,
young children, pregnant women, persons with chronic lung disease,
diabetes, heart disease, neurologic conditions and other long-term
health conditions.

"Persons who have the flu can spread it to others
even before they feel sick," said Salisbury.

A provider may prescribe antiviral drugs to treat the
flu. These drugs work better for treatment when started within 48 hours
of noticing symptoms.

In addition to getting a flu shot, the Beaver County
Health Department recommends the following prevention tips:

·Frequent hand washing using soap and water, or
alcohol-based products such as hand gels when hands are not visibly
soiled.

·Make "respiratory hygiene" a habit, including use of
tissues to cover coughs and sneezes, then disposing of them and washing
hands at once. When tissues are not readily available, use your sleeve,
never your hands.

·Stay home from work, school, and other public places when a person
is ill.

Call the Beaver County Health Department at 580-625-3693 for more
information about the flu vaccine.

Darlene Lansden was sworn into office as Beaver County Assessor by
District Judge Jon Parsley Monday morning January 5, 2015

Brad Raven was sworn into office as Beaver County Commissioner District
No. 3 by District Judge Jon Parsley Monday morning January 5, 2015.
Frank King was sworn into office Tuesday, January 6, 2015 by Judge
Reddick.

Monday, Jan. 5, 2015

Oil and Gas news
Oklahoma Sweet:

Sunoco Inc. — $46.50

Oklahoma Sour:

Sunoco Inc. — $34.50

Beaver County Hospital employees gather for a photo shoot

Hospital Authority looking forward
to more success in 2015

As another year passes the staff of the Beaver County
Hospital Authority (BCHA) would like to thank the community for
supporting their local healthcare facilities in 2014.

BCHA was formed 25 years ago and has proven to be a
unique creation. BCHA consists of six entities, including the Beaver
County Memorial Hospital (BCMH), Beaver County Nursing Home (BCNH),
Beaver County Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Community Clinics of
Beaver and Turpin and the Community Pharmacy, makes them the hub of
healthcare for the people of Beaver County and the surrounding
communities.

Healthcare has seen many changes over the past few
years and will continue to see changes year after year as healthcare
evolves.

According to administrator Alissa Schlessman, there
have been several exciting changes and developments throughout the
organization this past year. As our world has been transformed by
digital technology it has changed our daily lives as well as the way we
communicate and healthcare is no exception.

One of the biggest changes for BCMH has been the
implementation of the electronic health record. The collaboration with
St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City made the transition possible. They
provide a vast amount of resources and support to BCMH.

BCMH is one of several St. Anthony affiliate
hospitals who went through this process over one year ago. The benefits
of a fully functional electronic health record will improve quality and
convenience of patient care, increase patient involvement in their care,
improve care coordination and improve diagnosis and health outcomes as
well as increase practice efficiencies.

Implementing the electronic health record
dramatically changes how the facility functions, however the staff at
BCMH embraced the challenge and celebrated their one year implementation
anniversary in November.

Earlier this year BCNH became a Medicare skilled
facility, they also received a Dodge Grand Caravan through a grant
received from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. BCNH has also
received notification that they will be eligible for funding through the
Department of Commerce- CDBG Disaster Recovery 2014 Grant that will be
used for constructing a safe room at BCNH.

Beaver County Emergency Medical Service has been
fortunate enough to receive funding from the Oklahoma Emergency Response
Systems Stabilization and Improvement Revolving Fund (OERSSIRF)
which has allowed the service to obtain two power load systems for the
ambulances as well as a first responder vehicle that is slated to arrive
early in 2015.

"Our EMS service is mainly a volunteer service
therefore relies on our own community members to serve their fellow
citizens," Schlessman said. "It is always a challenge to find willing
individuals to commit to becoming an emergency medical technician (EMT),
however they are an integral part of rural healthcare. Beaver County EMS
will be offering an EMT course beginning in January for anyone who is
interested and would like to become a part of our healthcare team."

Schlessman stressed the importance of teamwork to
make the facility run as smooth as it has.

"While providing rural healthcare has its challenges
it definitely has its advantages. Being small, we need absolutely every
person to make things run smoothly. We strive to provide our community
with very personal and most importantly quality healthcare," she said.
"We are here to take care of our patients, which also happen to be our
family, friends and neighbors. It has been a very rewarding year for
Beaver County Hospital Authority. The Board of Trustees, Administration
and Staff would once again like to thank Beaver County for the support
and encourages anyone who has any healthcare needs, questions or
concerns in 2015 to reach out to your local healthcare team."

Health officials reporting increase in flu cases 6,

As the number of flu-related hospitalizations
continues to increase, the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH)
reminds Oklahomans there is still time to get a flu shot.

OSDH reports a total of nine deaths and 517
hospitalizations associated with the flu since the season began in
September. Okfuskee, Payne and Carter counties have each had one death,
while Garfield, Stephens and Oklahoma counties have each had two deaths
so far this influenza season. More than half of hospitalizations have
occurred among individuals 65 years and older.

Public health influenza vaccination clinics are
available at county health departments, medical providers and retailers
throughout the state. OSDH wants to remind Oklahomans that everyone is
at risk for influenza and the flu vaccination is recommended for anyone
6 months of age and older.

Vaccination is especially important for people at
high risk for serious illness from flu including: pregnant women,
children younger than 5 years of age and people with asthma, diabetes,
chronic heart and lung disease and other chronic conditions. Parents and
family members of babies younger than 6 months of age and people who
live with or care for anyone at high risk for complications from the
flu, including health care workers, should also get the vaccine.

The following types of flu vaccine are available:

·The traditional flu shot which protects against four
strains of flu.

·The nasal spray flu vaccine, which protects against four strains of
flu, is for healthy people who are not pregnant and are ages 2-49.
Studies have shown this vaccine was more effective among younger
children. However, if the nasal spray vaccine is not immediately
available, parents should not delay in getting children vaccinated.

·The high-dose flu shot for persons age 65 years and
older which protects against three strains of flu.

It is important for those experiencing flu-like
symptoms to consult with a provider as soon as possible. A provider may
prescribe antiviral drugs to treat the flu. These drugs work better for
treatment when started within 48 hours of noticing symptoms. Antiviral
drugs may be indicated as a prevention measure to prevent especially
vulnerable persons such as infants less than 6 months old, or persons of
any age with a medical condition which severely suppresses their immune
system.

In addition to getting a flu shot, public health
officials recommend the following prevention tips:

· Frequent hand washing using soap and water, or
alcohol-based products such as hand gels when hands are not visibly
soiled.

· Make "respiratory hygiene" a habit, including use
of tissues to cover coughs and sneezes, then disposing of them and
washing hands at once. When tissues are not readily available, use your
sleeve, never your hands.

· Stay home from work, school, and other public
places when a person is ill.

Visit the OK Flu View at http://flu.health.ok.gov
for weekly Oklahoma flu updates and additional information about the
flu.

Voter deadline near to cast February ballot

Friday, January 16, is the last day to apply for
voter registration in order to be eligible to vote in the February 10
Annual School Election, Beaver County Election Board Secretary Vera
Floyd said today.

Floyd said that persons who are United States
citizens, residents of Oklahoma, and at least 18 years old may apply to
become registered voters.

Persons who have never been registered to vote before
or who are not currently registered in the county of their residence and
persons who are registered but who need to change their registration
information may apply by filling out and mailing an Oklahoma Voter
Registration Application form in time for it to be postmarked no later
than midnight Friday, January 16.

Floyd explained that applications postmarked after
that time still will be accepted and processed; however, the
applications will not be approved until after February 10.

The County Election Board responds in writing to every person who
submits an application for voter registration. The response is either a
voter identification card listing the new voter’s precinct number and
polling place location or a letter that explains the reason or reasons
the application for voter registration was not approved. Floyd said that
any person who has submitted a voter registration application and who
has not received a response within 30 days should contact the County
Election Board office.

Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms are
available at the County Election Board office located at 111 West Second
Street, and at most post offices, tag agencies, and public libraries in
the county. Floyd said that applications also are available at
www.elections.ok.gov, and voters can check their registration status
at http://www.ok.gov/elections/Voter_Info/Online_Voter_Tool/.

Old man winter finally found December

Winter was noticeably absent through much of
December, a deceptively warm month that ended more than 2 degrees above
normal to rank as the 38

th
warmest since records began in 1895. The season finally lived up to its
name during the month’s final week, however, with a swath of 3-5 inches
of snow along the I-44 corridor in southwestern Oklahoma, along with
another icy plunge to ring in the New Year. New Year’s Eve was
celebrated with patches of freezing drizzle, snow, sleet and below-zero
wind chills.

Despite the snow and ice, preliminary data from the
Oklahoma Mesonet still tracked a deficit of 0.67 inches for the month,
the 55

th driest December on
record. The year itself was cool and dry as a whole, with 2014’s
statewide average temperature at 58.9 degrees, one degree below normal
and the 27th coolest on
record. The January-December statewide average precipitation total of
28.47 inches was more than 8 inches below normal and the 26th
driest year on record. The 2014 Mesonet precipitation totals ranged from
13.2 inches at Kenton while Clayton had the most with 50.9 inches.

December’s average temperature might have finished on the warm side,
but that statistic didn’t come with lots of warm, sunny days. In fact,
it was the least sunny December since Mesonet records began in 1994,
receiving only 35 percent of possible sunshine. Fog was a frequent
visitor throughout the month, and the high humidity values aided in
suppressing fire danger. The clouds and moisture also helped account for
the warmth, trapping heat close to the surface at night and preventing
the low temperatures from plummeting. The statewide average high
temperature, held down by the cloudiness, was actually more than a
degree below normal, but the average low temperature was nearly 6.5
degrees above normal.

The highest temperature recorded by the Mesonet in
December was 75 degrees at Burneyville on the fifth. The lowest
temperature, minus 6 degrees, came on the month’s final day at Kenton.
The lowest temperature of 2014 was minus 12 degrees at Nowata back on
January 6, and the highest temperature of 107 degrees came on July 26 at
Freedom.

Severe weather made an appearance during the month,
including a weak tornado near Lake Arcadia in central Oklahoma on the 14th,
only the 25th December tornado since 1950.
According to preliminary data from the National Weather Service (NWS),
2014 ended with a total of 16 tornadoes, the lowest count since accurate
records began in 1950. If that total holds at 16, it would best the
previous minimum count of 17 back in 1988. Large hail and severe winds
also accompanied the storms on the 14th.

No drought improvements were noted during the month
thanks to the dry conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor depicted 60
percent of the state in drought to start December and 62 percent as it
ended. The amount of extreme-to-exceptional drought, the worst two
categories on the Drought Monitor, increased from 18 percent to 22
percent. One year ago, 38 percent of the state was considered to be in
drought. Nearly 1.5 million Oklahomans were still affected by drought as
the year came to a close.

The latest outlooks for January from the NWS’ Climate Prediction
Center (CPC) show increased odds of above normal precipitation across
the southern two-thirds of the state, but no clear signal for
temperature. CPC’s U.S. Monthly Drought Outlook for January sees drought
persisting or intensifying across those areas where drought is already
in place, but no development in the current drought-free areas.

During the annual "pink out" week last October, the
Beaver and Forgan Student Councils combined to raise over $4.000 with
the various events devoted to support those with cancer.

Events included t-shirt sales, the glow walk and the
groups made various items for the auction that was held during the
football game. Sponsors were Nancy McVay from Beaver and Tara Albert
from Forgan.

"We want to give a huge thank you to the Beaver and
Forgan communities for their generosity during our pink out week in
October," McVay said. "Because of our great communities, Forgan and
Beaver’s STUCO raised over $4,000 that was given to four different
families."

Last Tuesday, two of the families were awarded money.
Mrs. Mary Tibbetts and Haley (Pierson) Nichols were both given checks to
help with their battles. Also, money was given to Mary Martinez and
Heath Thomas, who recently underwent a bone marrow transplant.

The Beaver Ministerial Fellowship estimated 400 plus people were fed at
the fairgrounds during Thanksgiving. An estimated $1700 plus was brought
in for the Christmas Angel program.

Brenda Maness, left, Billy Cates and Rev. David Glascock prepare a take
out dinner during the Community Thanksgiving Meal Nov. 27, 2014

Beaver County Library

has many fall activities

The staff at the Beaver County Pioneer Library would
like to share all of the exciting things going on at the Library. In the
fall, winter and early spring every Tuesday the library features a
"Lap-Sit" time with little ones from our community. This program is for
babies, toddlers and preschool age children.

"We are averaging 12-15 children a week and look
forward to them coming. The kids are learning through music, rhymes,
stories, along with repetition," librarian Denise Janko said. "This
program is open to all children, Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. and runs for about
an hour, please don’t think that it is too late to get involved!
Throughout this year we have also offered adult computer classes and
literacy tutoring. Our goal is to offer services to all community
members."

The library received a grant from the Libri
Foundation’s BOOKS FOR CHILDREN program. The Libri Foundation is a
nationwide non-profit that enables libraries to expand their children’s,
juvenile and young adult sections. The Libri grant is a matching grant
and thanks to our Beaver Friends of the Library Association, we have had
the privilege to add over 80 new books to our children’s, juvenile and
young adult sections of the Library.

"The new books received are of a good variety. We
have many new math and science books. Also added are several new young
adult and juvenile series," Janko said.

Beaver County Library is open Monday-Thursday from 10
a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

The Beaver County Pioneer Library has also applied
and received a "Zoo Grant" provided by the Oklahoma City Zoo. It will be
used during the 2015 summer reading program.

The Library Staff would also like to thank all of our many supporters
throughout the year. The Library will be open for the Beaver Downtown
Holiday celebration on December 4th and our annual Open House December
15th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Santa Letters Wanted

for Christmas Issue

The Herald-Democrat will feature letters to
Santa Claus again this year in the annual Christmas edition of the
newspaper on December 25, 2014.

With only a few weeks remaining until the happy
holidays and special paper, boys and girls are invited to send their
letters to Santa, in care of The Herald-Democrat, Box 490,
Beaver, OK 73932. Letters can also be sent via email to bvrnews@ptsi.net!

All letters of course, will be forwarded to the North Pole after they
are copied for publication. Only letters received by 5 p.m. on December
19, 2014 will be printed in the special Christmas issue.

This month (October, 2014) marks the 70th anniversary
Willis and Merlee Phelps Lansden took a "leap of faith" and bought the
newspaper, The Herald-Democrat, from H. H. Hubbart in 1944.

At that time, the newspaper plant was located on
Second Street where the Senior Citizens building is now. It moved to its
present location on Douglas Street in March, 1966.

The newspaper has run continuously since the summer
of 1887. The Territorial Advocate only published three or four issues
before selling to George Payne. It was then sold to a J. C. Hodge, who
changed the name of the paper of The Beaver Advocate.

It changed ownership and names until 1896 when it was
under the banner of The Beaver Herald. The publisher added Miss Maude O.
Thomas to his staff as associate editor, August 9, 1900. Miss Thomas
took over ownership in 1902.

The Beaver County Democrat was established by W. B.
Newman in 1906. Several years later, the new owner L. B. Tooker
consolidated the newspaper with a number of papers throughout the
county, which included The Forgan Enterprise, The LaKemp Mirror, the
Ivanhoe News, The Beaver County Republican and The Farmer’s News
(Knowles).

It was then called The Democrat. The Gate Valley Star
was later taken over by the Democrat in 1922. It was owned by A. W. Cox
and A. L. Kimball by that time. In early editions there were word fights
between the Beaver Herald by Miss Thomas and The Democrat by Mr.
Kimball. The name calling wasn’t too bad by today’s standards,
nevertheless, it was probably interesting for the subscribers.

August 1, 1923 marked the purchase of the Beaver Herald from Maude O.
Thomas by A. L. Kimball, to form the present Herald-Democrat with
Kimball serving as editor and publisher. The Forgan Eagle was
consolidated with The Herald-Democrat, February 1, 1927. The
Herald-Democrat again changed ownership on May 16, 1938, when it was
purchased by H. H. Hubbart.

In October, 1944, the late Willis and Merlee Phelps
Lansden bought the newspaper. During these many years, the family has
seen many changes in the publishing business, going from hand set type
and printing the newspaper in-house to sending the pages to be printed
to the printers via computer.

As World War II was still on-going in 1944, Willis
was basically putting out each week’s edition single-handedly. He had an
army cot set up in the supply room so he could get a few hours sleep
before getting up and going back to work. He did have a linotype
operator at that time...the only problem was that usually on Monday
mornings Willis would have to go bail the man out of jail after a
weekend of carousing.

The pages would be made up by hand then carried to
the printer. The blank newsprint would be fed into the machine one page
at a time, which would print four pages. Then the large pages would be
flipped over and print four more pages on the other side. The pages
would go through a folder and ready for addressing to the subscribers.
It was a tedious project to publish a newspaper back in the day, but
Willis loved every moment of it. (Maybe not so much when a paper would
jam in the folder!)

The Herald-Democrat received state-wide recognition
when, in 1963, Willis was selected to serve on the Oklahoma Press
Association Board of Directors. He served as president of the
association in 1969 and remained on the board in an advisory capacity
until July of 1970.

He also was appointed to the Oklahoma Wildlife
Commission by Gov. David Hall, where he also served as the chairman in
1974-75. Willis was instrumental in getting quail and pheasants back in
Beaver County at that time.

He and his wife served the community and state
faithfully and with distinction until their deaths in 1985 and 1986.
Then their children, Joe, Cheley and Kathal took over the publication of
the newspaper. In 1996, Cheley and Kathal sold their interest in the
business to their brother, Joe and nephew, Brent, who have been serving
this community since that time.

Throughout the years, many folks have been worked at
the newspaper helping to get the editions out each week, including three
more generations of Lansdens. That’s 3,640 issues mailed throughout the
United States to thousands of subscribers each week.

We are grateful to each and every one of our loyal friends and
advertisers.

Almost completed going up

This wind farm is being constructed in
east Texas county. Some 142 have been completer. The Balko Wind project
begin this month where 162 will be
constructed south of Bryan's corner now. The transmission line should be
completed by now.
There are also some 147 or more being constructed in the sw portion of
Beaver County.

Dear Joe,
It was nice to speak with you this morning. Thanks for fielding the
calls from various folks about the Plains & Eastern Clean Line.
As you mentioned, our website contains a lot of information about the
project, including the
status of the route and
overall timeline.
The Plains & Eastern Clean Line is undergoing an environmental review
under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), led by the US
Department of Energy (DOE) and in coordination with the Southwestern
Power Administration.
No decisions have been made regarding the final location of a route. In
the first quarter of 2013, the DOE presented for public comment the
Network of Potential Routes, a series of one-mile wide corridors.
Comments received by the DOE during their public scoping process will be
used to modify and refine the Network of Potential Routes to routes that
are approximately 1,000 feet wide. Clean Line anticipates that an
applicant proposed route and alternative routes will be published in the
fourth quarter of 2014, concurrent with the release of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The DOE will hold public meetings
following the release of the Draft EIS and solicit public comments. The
DOE is expected to identify a preferred route for the project in 2015
with the release of the Final EIS. The actual easement required for the
project is expected to be approximately 150 to 200 feet wide.
Ultimately, the Plains & Eastern Clean Line will utilize only one route.
If the regulatory schedule continues as planned, the project could begin
construction in 2016 and begin delivering electricity as early as 2018.It is possible that wind farms could be developed in Texas, Beaver,
and Cimarron counties in Oklahoma, as well as in the Texas Panhandle, to
access the Plains & Eastern Clean Line transmission project to deliver
their power to markets in Arkansas, Tennessee, and other states in the
Mid-South and Southeast.
The ultimate location and configuration of these wind farms won’t be
known until the regulatory review for the project has been completed,
and then all the commercial negotiations are completed.
Thanks again, and please feel free to reach out to me if you have any
additional questions.
Christopher Hardy

The OSU Extension Center are having a meeting on
Salt Cedar (Tamracks) that is taking over the river bottom and water
there. The meeting is Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 in the Extension center.
The program begins at 1 p.m. Pictured is no salt cedar in 1950 with
the sale barn in the photo

According to
preliminary data from the Oklahoma Mesonet, the mild first half and
summery second half of the month combined to produce a statewide
average temperature of 80.6 degrees, two-tenths of a degree above
normal and the 57th coolest August since records began in 1895.

The climatological
summer ended as the 26th coolest on record with a
June-August average temperature of 78.7 degrees, nearly a degree below
normal.

The statewide
average precipitation total of 1.4 inches was half of the normal total
for August and the 12th driest since records began in 1895.

The Mesonet site at
Porter led the state with 4.1 inches and several other stations across
northern Oklahoma reported more than 3 inches, but 50 Mesonet stations
recorded less than an inch for the entire month.

The summer as a
whole was still wetter than normal, however, with a statewide average
of 11.4 inches, 1.6 inches above normal to rank as the 34th
wettest on record.

New manager takes over Dunes;

Plans to work promoting park

Heath Noyes is the new manager of the Beaver Dunes
Park. He started his new job on August 25.

Noyes graduated from Vici High School in 1996 and
earned his college degree in accounting in 2006 from Northwestern
Oklahoma State University. Noyes worked for the Woodward County
Sheriff’s Department from 2002 through 2006 and most recently worked for
the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s office for the past eight years.

Noyes is also a veteran of the United States Marine
Corp. and has one overseas tour of duty. He expressed excitement for his
new job in Beaver.

"The key is to promote, promote and promote. Not
enough people have heard of the Beaver Dunes," Noyes said. "My family
really enjoys the area, and wee are excited to be here."

Noyes, on Monday, was working to place picnic tables
in the ORV area and also plans to install some watchable wildlife
stations in the coming weeks. He has many other great ideas for the park
as well.

Pictured above is the tornado that hit the Woodbury home. Vance and
Barbara Woodbury both died from injuries when the struck their home
about 1/2 mile from this location near the Northern Natural Gas plant
east
of Elmwood. The tornado hit their home Wednesday evening, March 29,
2007 . Photo courtesy Beaver County Sheriff's office.

Above is a photo of the USS Mullinnix DD-944 which
was used as a sink test back in the 1990's. The United States was testing new
weapons. The ship was used during the Vietnam war but later
decommissioned in the 1980's. The editor and publisher was stationed on
the ship from 1963 until 1965.

Subscribe at these rates: $30.00 Beaver County;
$40.00 all
others; Mail your check to The Herald-Democrat, Box 490, Beaver, Oklahoma
73932 or click on the online edition of this newspaper.

Beaver ePaper subscription is $25.00 per year

Web Site beavercowchipnews.com

Welcome To The
Herald-Democrat located in Beaver, Oklahoma. We are the Cow Chip Capital of the
World and have our annual Cimarron Territory Celebration and World Championship
Cow Chip Throw each year the third weekend in April.
Our phone numbers are:
580-625-3241
FAX 580-625-4269
Email
Bvrnews@ptsi.net